Kane County Sheriff To Step Up Distracted Driving Enforcement In April

KANE COUNTY, IL — April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month, and the Kane County Sheriff's Office is stepping up enforcement to help make local roads safer, officials said.

The sheriff's office is partnering with the Illinois Department of Transportation, Illinois State Police and more than 200 local law enforcement agencies to ticket anyone who violates distracted driving and other Illinois driving laws, according to a news release.

In 2023, Illinois saw 58 deaths as a result of distracted driving, officials said.

"Roads are safer when focused behind the wheel," officials wrote in a news release. "In Illinois, using your phone in anything other than hands-free mode is not only dangerous but also illegal. Put the phone away or pay."

The campaign is paid for by federal traffic safety funds administered by IDOT.